Even the most reserved and relaxed driver can be flustered when stopped by the police. You may not remember the instructions the officer recites when you are given a traffic ticket.

The Division of Motor Vehicles' (DMV) Bureau of Financial Responsibility will handle the collection of your fine, accident reports, and driving record requests. The responsibility to handle financial matters belongs to both you and the Bureau. Of course, if you don't pay the fine your case can be passed along to the Bureau of Hearings.

Top Guilty or Not Guilty?

Before paying your ticket you must decide how you will plead. It is most common for people to please guilty to speeding or other traffic violations. More complicated traffic tickets, like failure to use due care, may be contested.

To contest your ticket you will plead not guilty. This plea entitles you to a court hearing where you can present your case and fight the ticket, fine, and potential DMV demerit points. A review of the Vehicle Codes will help you develop your defense.

The DMV will contact you, usually within eight to 10 weeks after you've filed the not guilty plea. It is up to you to follow through―after all, it's your license on the line―so if you don't hear from them be sure to contact the court.

If your case is more clear cut you might want to plead guilty or nolo contendre. Both pleas require you to pay the ticket fine and submit the paperwork on time.

Top Paying the Fine

If you are pleading guilty or nolo contendre then mail your payment and paperwork into the Bureau of Financial Responsibility:

• Department of Safety

• Division of Motor Vehicles

• Bureau of Financial Responsibility

• Plea by Mail

• 23 Hazen Drive

• Concord NH 03305

You can also pay most fines at a DMV substation. You cannot, however, pay reinstatement fees at any DMV substation; reinstatement fees, usually $100, must be paid at DMV Headquarters in Concord, NH.

When you pay your fine is very important. The DMV uses the date when they receive your payment and not the date you mail it when calculated penalties and suspensions.

There are some instructions on the traffic ticket itself and you can use those to guide you in paying for the traffic ticket. Bottom line, you have just 30 days to pay the fine. After the 30 days you will have to pay a $50 penalty on top of the regular fine.

What happens if you forget about the ticket and don't send in the fine before 60 days has passed from the ticket date? Bad news―your license and registration can be suspended. Now you have the chore of getting your license reinstated and you still have to pay your fine and all related penalties.

What if you mail the check on time and think you have paid and then your check is returned for insufficient funds? Well, you still haven't paid your fine on time so the clock is ticking. In addition, you now have to call the DMV Headquarters at (603) 271-1016.

Traffic tickets can be very expensive― even hundreds of dollars. Plus, if you have any trouble at all when paying your ticket you stand the chance of losing your license and registration to suspension. Avoiding traffic tickets is an important part of being a safe and responsible driver. And, it makes good financial sense, too.

Check out our special Traffic Tickets and Traffic Schools sections to find information about lowering the points on your driving record.

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